"All God's Children" Campaign

Last updated

The "All God's Children" Campaign is an effort by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to challenge religious opposition to the legalization of same-sex marriage and promote LGBT acceptance in the Southern United States. [1] According to the HRC, the program was designed to "change hearts and minds, improve the public perception and overall awareness of LGBT people, begin to reduce the painful stigma that many face in their daily lives, and help future efforts to enact pro-equality legislation." [2] The program targeted Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas – all states that had no form of housing, employment, or marriage protections for LGBT citizens. [3]

Contents

Background

The Southern United States is far more culturally conservative than the North. In the early 2000s, while northern states began legalizing same-sex marriage, many southern states were passing laws banning it. However, southern support as a whole rose an entire 26 percentage points from 2003 to 2013, leaving the south split on the issue of same-sex marriage. Scholars suggested that some of the factors leading to this cultural change include generational differences, the "friends and family effect," and a new appreciation for the separation of church and state. Approximately 64% of Southerners can say that they know someone who is gay or lesbian, a factor that is considered crucial for support of legislation such as same-sex marriage. [4]

The South also holds the lowest regional social climate index ranking for the LGBT community in the United States, with a score of 55. Same-sex couples with kids have a household income that averages about $11,000 lower than heterosexual couples. Gay and bisexual men in the south hold higher HIV infection rates than those in other parts of the country; additionally, only 3⁄475% of southern LGBT people are covered by health insurance. [5] "Discomfort" with exposure to LGBT lifestyles, such as attending a same-sex wedding or seeing pictures of a coworker with a same-sex partner, polls about 5-10 percentage points higher in the South than in northern states. [6]

Additionally, the chosen states are heavily religious; for example, more than half of Mississippi residents are members of the southern Baptist church. [7] Because of this, the Human Rights Campaign refers to Mississippi, their target audience for the early stages of the All God's Children campaign, as being "the most religious state in America." [2] Mississippi also has no statewide protects for LGBT people and, in 2014, passed a law allowing businesses to refuse services to LGBT people. [6]

Strategy

The "All God's Children" project included phone banking, TV commercials, banner ads, and "direct-mail" messages. [7] The ad campaign featured testimonies from Christian parents of LGBT children, gay army veterans, and transgender students to appeal towards the religious community. [2] [7] [1] The Mississippi campaign itself was expected to cost approximately $310,000, out of a total of $8.5 million including Alabama and Arkansas over the course of three years. The first television commercials aired in November 2014 in Mississippi, two days before a federal court hearing on a state law banning same-sex marriage. [7]

Response

The American Family Association of Mississippi issued a retaliatory statement in November [2014] arguing that the "[normalization of] homosexuality in the southern states" would not be acceptable to their program. Others argued that the campaign wouldn't be enough to change the hearts of "biblically literate Christians." Southern Protestants, especially those in the Southern Baptist Convention, have been alleged to be the most vehemently opposed to the expansion of LGBT protections in the south. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ movements</span> Social movements

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBTQ people in society. Although there is not a primary or an overarching central organization that represents all LGBTQ people and their interests, numerous LGBT rights organizations are active worldwide. The first organization to promote LGBT rights was the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, founded in 1897 in Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same-sex marriage in the United States</span>

The availability of legally recognized same-sex marriage in the United States expanded from one state (Massachusetts) in 2004 to all fifty states in 2015 through various court rulings, state legislation, and direct popular votes. States each have separate marriage laws, which must adhere to rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States that recognize marriage as a fundamental right guaranteed by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as first established in the 1967 landmark civil rights case of Loving v. Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human Rights Campaign</span> LGBTQ civil rights advocacy group

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGBTQ individuals, including advocating for same-sex marriage, anti-discrimination and hate crimes legislation, and HIV/AIDS advocacy. The organization has a number of legislative initiatives as well as supporting resources for LGBTQ individuals.

Gay-friendly or LGBT-friendly places, policies, people, or institutions are those that are open and welcoming to gay or LGBTQ people. They typically aim to create an environment that is supportive, respectful, and non-judgmental towards the LGBT community. The term "gay-friendly" originated in the late 20th century in North America, as a byproduct of a gradual implementation of gay rights, greater acceptance of LGBT people in society, and the recognition of LGBT people as a distinct consumer group for businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in the United States</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States are among the most advanced in the world, with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal status of same-sex marriage</span>

The legal status of same-sex marriage has changed in recent years in numerous jurisdictions around the world. The current trends and consensus of political authorities and religions throughout the world are summarized in this article.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equality Mississippi</span> LGBT rights organization in Mississippi, United States

Equality Mississippi is a statewide LGBT civil rights organization founded March 2000 in Mississippi. The organization closed in December 2008 but reopened in April 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT-affirming religious groups</span> Religious groups that affirm LGBTQ+ rights and relationships

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+)-affirming religious groups are religious groups that welcome LGBT people as their members, do not consider homosexuality as a sin or negative, and affirm LGBT rights and relationships. They include entire religious denominations, as well as individual congregations and places of worship. Some groups are mainly composed of non-LGBTQ+ members and they also have specific programs to welcome LGBTQ+ people into them, while other groups are mainly composed of LGBTQ+ members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT movements in the United States</span>

LGBT movements in the United States comprise an interwoven history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied social movements in the United States of America, beginning in the early 20th century. A commonly stated goal among these movements is social equality for LGBT people. Some have also focused on building LGBT communities or worked towards liberation for the broader society from biphobia, homophobia, and transphobia. LGBT movements organized today are made up of a wide range of political activism and cultural activity, including lobbying, street marches, social groups, media, art, and research. Sociologist Mary Bernstein writes: "For the lesbian and gay movement, then, cultural goals include challenging dominant constructions of masculinity and femininity, homophobia, and the primacy of the gendered heterosexual nuclear family (heteronormativity). Political goals include changing laws and policies in order to gain new rights, benefits, and protections from harm." Bernstein emphasizes that activists seek both types of goals in both the civil and political spheres.

Same-sex unions in the United States are available in various forms in all states and territories, except American Samoa. All states have legal same-sex marriage, while others have the options of civil unions, domestic partnerships, or reciprocal beneficiary relationships. The federal government only recognizes marriage and no other legal union for same-sex couples.

Many views are held or have been expressed by religious organisation in relation to same-sex marriage. Arguments both in favor of and in opposition to same-sex marriage are often made on religious grounds and/or formulated in terms of religious doctrine. Although many of the world's religions are opposed to same-sex marriage, the number of religious denominations that are conducting same-sex marriages have been increasing since 2010. Religious views on same-sex marriage are closely related to religious views on homosexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Delaware</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Delaware enjoy the same legal protections as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Delaware since January 1, 1973. On January 1, 2012, civil unions became available to same-sex couples, granting them the "rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities" of married persons. Delaware legalized same-sex marriage on July 1, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT people in the United States</span>

In the United States, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people have a long history, including vibrant subcultures and advocacy battles for social and religious acceptance and legal rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Arkansas</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Arkansas face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Arkansas. Same-sex marriage became briefly legal through a court ruling on May 9, 2014, subject to court stays and appeals. In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that laws banning same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States nationwide including in Arkansas. Nonetheless, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity was not banned in Arkansas until the Supreme Court banned it nationwide in Bostock v. Clayton County in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Mississippi</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Mississippi face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. LGBT rights in Mississippi are limited in comparison to other states. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Mississippi as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas. Same-sex marriage has been recognized since June 2015 in accordance with the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. State statutes do not address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal under federal law. The state capital Jackson and a number of other cities provide protections in housing and public accommodations as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Maryland Question 6</span> Referendum on same-sex marriage

Question 6 is a referendum that appeared on the general election ballot for the U.S. state of Maryland to allow voters to approve or reject the Civil Marriage Protection Act—a bill legalizing same-sex marriage passed by the General Assembly in 2012. The referendum was approved by 52.4% of voters on November 6, 2012, and thereafter went into effect on January 1, 2013.

Until 2017, laws related to LGBTQ+ couples adopting children varied by state. Some states granted full adoption rights to same-sex couples, while others banned same-sex adoption or only allowed one partner in a same-sex relationship to adopt the biological child of the other.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Mississippi since June 26, 2015. On November 25, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi ruled that Mississippi's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Enforcement of his ruling was stayed pending appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples violates the U.S. Constitution. On June 29, Attorney General Jim Hood ordered clerks to comply with the court ruling and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The Fifth Circuit lifted its stay on July 1, and Judge Reeves ordered an end to Mississippi's enforcement of its same-sex marriage ban. However, until July 2, 2015, several counties in Mississippi continued to refuse to issue marriage licenses, including DeSoto, Jasper, Jones, Newton, Pontotoc, Simpson and Yalobusha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religious Liberty Accommodations Act</span>

Mississippi House Bill 1523, also called the Religious Liberty Accommodations Act or Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act, is 2016 state legislation passed in direct response to federal rulings in support of same-sex marriage. MS H.B. 1523 provides protections for persons, religious organizations, and private associations who choose to provide or withhold services discriminatorily in accordance to the three "deeply held religious beliefs or moral convictions" which are specifically outlined in the bill. These protected beliefs are 1) that marriage is and should be an exclusively heterosexual union, 2) sex should not occur outside of marriage, and 3) that biologically-assigned sex is objective and immutably linked to gender.

This is a list of notable events in LGBT rights that took place in the 2010s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pratt, Timothy (2015-01-30). "Meet the LGBT rights activists taking on the US south: 'Why run from your turf?'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mississippi 'All God's Children' Pro-Equality Campaign Draws Ire of Baptist Leaders". 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  3. ↑ "Is The Deep South The Next Big LGBT Rights Battleground?". ThinkProgress. 2014-04-27. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  4. ↑ Jones, Robert P. "The South's Stunning Embrace of Gay Marriage."The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.
  5. ↑ Hasenbush, Amira, Andrew R. Flores, Angeliki Kastanis, Brad Sears, and Gary G. Gates.The LGBT Divide.Williams Institute.Law.UCLA. UCLA, Dec. 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.
  6. 1 2 "LGBT Life in the South". GLAAD. 2014-10-27. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Reeves, Jay (November 8, 2014). "TV campaign for gay equality starting in Miss". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.